Producer Saul Zaentz is not a man to be trifled with. And it’s clear that he can hold on to a grudge like a dog with a particularly beloved bone.

At least where an allegedly missing payday is involved. You see, Saul has just launched a $20 million lawsuit against Disney and Miramax, claiming that the companies failed to share profits from 1996’s The English Patient.

"Like Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, Miramax has used fraudulent and unfair accounting and business practices to deprive Saul Zaentz Co. of its profit participation," reads part of the suit. Apparently, Zaentz helped finance the movie in return for profit participation. As is common with big studio films, Miramax claimed that the film didn’t recoup its costs because the advertising budget was so high. But Zaentz, with this lawsuit, isn’t buying it. He claims the film cost $35 million to make and has earned more than $100 million in profit.

Well, he seems to have taken a hint from Peter Jackson and his dispute with New Line. Interesting, since it is Saul Zaentz who sold the original rights for The Hobbit to New Line and he is also the one who will receive the rights back if New Line fails to go into production by next year. Zaentz said in an interview for a german magazine that he would hand Jackson the direction chair back if such a thing happened. More